Ruturaj Gaikwad’s push for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captaincy gets BCCI green light after he was named captain for the upcoming Asian Games 2023. With MS Dhoni’s future up in the air, Gaikwad is one of the better captaincy candidates at the franchise. The 25-year-old has been a staple in the side over the past three seasons and could take up the mantle when Dhoni calls it time.
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Gaikwad is no novice when it comes to leadership. He led Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last year. Not only did he assume greater responsibility, but he also got runs under his belt in pressure situations. Former CSK star Suresh Raina has also tipped Gaikwad for the leadership role at CSK. Kedar Jadhav, who also played at CSK, is also of the same opinion.
“I think Ruturaj Gaikwad could be the captain of CSK after MS Dhoni. Ben Stokes is also another potential captain along with Ravindra Jadeja. But for that Stokes has to play really well for CSK this year. Availability is another issue. So I think Ruturaj Gaikwad is the best option to captain CSK after MS Dhoni,” said Kedar Jadhav earlier this year.
“He has captained Maharashtra as well in the domestic circuit. So he has got captaincy experience. More importantly, I think he is a certainty in the team. You have got to be somebody who is a certainty, who is one of the first picks. I just think captaincy will make him that much more consistent,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Ben Stokes also in contention
Ruturaj Gaikwad meanwhile is a perfect team man and is considered amongst the most senior players in CSK groomed for the job.
Captaining a young squad at the Asian Games will be a massive challenge for the 26-year-old. With little experience to bank on, the onus will be on him to deliver a gold medal finish for India. Should India win, it would only increase his chances of succeeding MS Dhoni at Chepauk.
Chennai Super Kings are meticulously planning succession with the franchise. After their Ravindra Jadeja experiment failed in IPL 2021, the franchise will be keen to not repeat a similar mistake. Ruturaj Gaikwad likewise has competition, with England Test skipper Ben Stokes also in the fray. Stokes, however, featured only twice in IPL 2023. When fit he struggled to make it to the XI due to the set combination.
It is fair to say replacing MS Dhoni isn’t the easiest of tasks. With 5 titles under his belt, CSK is also looking at players in the mould of MS who can strive in the most difficult situations. Stokes time and again has proved that with England. Gaikwad has done so with Maharashtra in domestic cricket. The Asian Games campaign will be key for his chances.
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